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Alonso first driver to three wins in Formula One with triumph at Hockenheim

July 21, 2012

1 of 9To the victor goes the confetti at the German Grand Prix on Sunday.

Photo by LAT Photographic

2 of 9Fernando Alonso led the pack from the start en route to the win at Hockenheim on Sunday.

Photo by LAT Photographic

3 of 9Fernando Alonso is given a champagne shower from Jenson Button on Sunday.

Photo by LAT Photographic

4 of 9Fernando Alonso is the first F1 driver to three wins in 2012.

Photo by LAT Photographic

5 of 9Fernando Alonso waves to the crowd after crossing the finish line in Hockeheim, Germany.

Photo by LAT Photographic

6 of 9Jenson Button leads Sebastian Vettel in the battle for second place on Sunday.

Photo by LAT Photographic

7 of 9Felipe Massa, right, loses his wing coming into the first turn at the German Grand Prix.

Photo by LAT Photographic

8 of 9Mark Webber, second in the Formula One points chase, started eighth and finished eighth at Hockenheim.

Photo by LAT Photographic

9 of 9Ferrari fans cheer on their hero, Fernando Alonso, on Sunday in Germany.

Photo by LAT Photographic

Fernando Alonso extended his series points lead by scoring his third win of 2012 in an exciting German Grand Prix at Hockenheim.

Alonso led from the start but was pushed hard in the closing stages by Jenson Button and Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver passed Button to claim second place, but Vettel was deemed to have gone off the course while doing so, and was later demoted to fifth place by a 20-second penalty.

Race day turned out to be sunny, and, after limited dry running during the two previous days, the teams had very little information from which to draw. Alonso got away well at the start to lead from Vettel and Michael Schumacher, while further back a series of incidents caused Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna and Romain Grosjean to pit at the end of the first lap to replace damaged tires or front wings or both. On the second lap, Lewis Hamilton picked up a puncture from debris and had to do a full lap back to the pits, which dropped him to the back.

Out front, Alonso and Vettel were safely established in front, while Button made good progress up the order. After the first pit stops had unfolded, the McLaren driver was in third place, and in the middle stint of the race he closed in on the cars ahead.

Button became the first of the front-runners to pit when he came in on lap 40. It paid off as when Alonso and Vettel came in on the following lap, Button jumped ahead of the German as he passed the pit exit.

As the last part of the race approached it looked as if Button would have the pace with which to pass Alonso, but in the closing laps he dropped back. Vettel was able to muscle his way past--although by going off the track, he earned himself the penalty.

Although Vettel crossed the line second he dropped behind Button, Kimi Räikkönen and Kumui Kobayashi. Räikkönen had enjoyed a strong run to fourth on the road, but from 10th on the grid he had a lot of ground to make up. Kobayashi was the only top runner to start on the prime tire, and it paid off as he moved up the order.

Behind the penalized Vettel, Sergio Pérez earned sixth place in the other Sauber, ahead of Schumacher, who was the highest-placed driver to stop three times rather than two.

Mark Webber had a disappointing day, finishing where he started in eighth after struggling throughout for grip. Hulkenberg was not able to take advantage of his fourth grid spot and slid back to ninth, finishing just ahead of Nico Rosberg, who had started only 21st after a poor wet qualifying and a grid penalty.

The delayed Hamilton involved himself in the lead battle when he unlapped himself from Vettel--much to the German's displeasure as it helped Button to catch him. But he later retired as a result of damage incurred by his earlier puncture.